"I'd rather be underrated with a cult following than famous. If you're famous you're probably doing something very wrong" - James Cassidy, The Autumn StoneRunning this blog gives me a lot of great findings for me: new bands, musicians, labels, and others. One of them, which is I currently like very much, is The Autumn Stone. I found this band from the Cabinessence Records link. They are James Cassidy and Syd Lane in this band (and I just know that they are couple and will get married soon) working on their debut album soon to be released. Here James telling me about this band forthcoming album, and the most interesting, how it feels to be an underrated cult band in America.

Hello James, how is the album progress? Hey there, mixing is in it's final stages. By the way, can you tell me when and where The Autumn Stone formed? The Autumn Stone never really officially formed. Syd and I were together already as a couple. We met online out of mutual appreciation for each other's music. She was a Canadian living in Ireland and she would come visit me. We fell in love, now she lives with me full time and we're soon to be married. I always wrote this psychedelic sort of music and at some point a few years ago, I started writing the songs that came to be on this album which I dubbed The Autumn Stone. I hadn't written songs like these before, they have a certain kind of vibe and sound. It's the best thing I've done so far. If I tried to write another piece of music for this record now, I don't think I could. I have a different sort of song coming out of me at the moment...in the future I would really love to revisit that special place if I could and make another Autumn Stones record. I know Syd Lane as a solo singer before this band. How about you? Any music project before The Autumn Stone? Syd's music is till her main focus, The Autumn Stone is a kind of a side project for her. I write the songs and put down the bulk of it, vocals, guitars and bass and sometimes my sad attempt at drumming. I mean it works for what I'm doing but I'm no John Bohnham. She'll come in later to do her parts on piano, organs or whatever. Sometimes I'll have specific ideas for melodies other times I have no idea what I want save for the sound of the organ and she'll just sit down and whip something up out of thin air, mostly in one or two takes. She's such an amazing musician. She's great with ideas for harmonies too. A pint size Brian Wilson. Plus it's good to have a second opinion, something I never had before. If she doesn't like something I'm doing she lets me know without holding back any punches. Sometimes it's a hard pill to swallow but it makes the music better ultimately. Luckily, she usually likes what I'm doing 99% of the time. Yes, I have three older albums that I would like to release retrospectively one day. Talking about album, give me a clue, what would it be like? Sure give a listen here: https://soundcloud.com/the-autumn-stone Imagine about ten more songs of that. I listened to your singles ‘In Charge of Stars’. I called this song as dreamy/psychedelic pop. Actually, what is your influence in making music? Everything influences me. Documentaries, music, movies, books, religion, etc. and the basic sadness and joys of being alive. Musically, just too much to mention. All the good bands. My specific inspiration for Beautiful Freaks were the fantastic albums: Deserter's Songs (Mercury Rev), The Soft Bulletin (The Flaming Lips),Dreamt For Light Years in the Belly of a Beast (Sparklehorse), Ladies and Gentlemen We are Floating in Space (Spiritualized), The Software Slump (Grandaddy) and Fear Yourself (Daniel Johnston). To me these are all chapters in the same book. This is my attempt at writing the next chapter. I really wanted to create something that would sit between those records on some one's bookshelf.I personally love this song. How did you get the idea or inspiration to write this song? Who writes the lyric? I like the lyric Thank you. Yes, I write all the lyrics and the songs. We are both passionate people and sometimes we argue just like any other couple. I wrote it after one of those sessions. I was imagining what it would be like if she no longer cared for me and the world around me crumbled into a meaningless void. I think I was channeling a bit of T-Rex for this song. I love T-Rex. There's a T-Rex cover on the album as well, an obscure track not released during Marc's lifetime called Mr. Motion. I rearranged the melody in a very cool way. It's the only stripped down song on the album.The forthcoming album would be titled ‘Beautiful Freaks’, right? How many track would it be on this album? Twelve or thirteen, I can't remember right now and my other computer is so far away. Sorry for being so lazy.Talking about releasing album, why do you prefer to release it via netlabel? Would this album be on physical release too? I don't really think it's about preference. If I could, I'd release it on a bigger label and get it heard by as many people as possible, which is what you want as a musician. That being said, I'm very grateful and fortunate to be on Cabinessence. They care about my music and try very hard to get it heard. Hopefully there is a cassette on the horizon. Do you believe that physical release is the best music documentation for an artist? I love CDs and vinyls and cassettes. Digital is fine as long it's wav. format or higher. I think mp3s sound thin and lifeless. Digital era today has provided us a bunch of indie bands. Tell me how does it feel to be the one of them? Feel so hard to get seen? It feels pretty damn good... to be alive and to be able to create something that hopefully touches people. Yeah, it is hard to get seen but I'm happy if even a few people like what I'm doing. Plus admitedly, I don't try very hard to get seen so I probably have no real right to complain at all. I'm just interested in creating, not really so much promoting.Do you think, releasing an album in other country is still that spectacular? Or is it just a common thing in this internet era? It's probably just another common thing in the internet era, I would say.How about gigs performing so far? Do you do gig a lot? Not really at all at the moment. I would like to but I have too much on my plate. I have this record to finish up, new music to record, rent has to get paid and I still have to make time with the second half of the band. In my experience girls seem to like attention. In a big country like America, me, as the person outside, always think that indie music scene there is so alive. I mean, you get a lot of attention there. Many your indie bands become famous. Is it really like it seems? Or actually there is a fine line between famous indie bands and underrated indie bands there? I think many of our indie bands actually get famous in the UK first, and then the US catches on. That's a long, unfortunate tradition that goes all the way back to the 60's with people like Jimi Hendrix. Mercury Rev, they're a prime example. The Brian Jonestown Massacre is another. The list goes on and on. It's not always the case but I think that's usually the way it goes. I think Europeans have better taste for the most part. There is a fine line but I'd rather be underrated with a cult following than famous. If you're famous you're probably doing something very wrong.I think my questions are all asked. Good luck for your album. I hope you will buzz me if the album finally released. Thank you! Thanks Zaldy. The album will be released soon and I will definitely let you know!You should listen to their soundcloud, visit their site, and like their Facebook page